History

During the Syrian Civil War, the town was taken by the rebels and blockaded by the government in 2012.[2] A truce ending the blockade was reached in November 2013.[3] The government placed the town under siege again in July 2015, until a deal was reached in November 2015 for the rebels to be transferred to Idlib province.[4] On 12 October 2016, armed fighters turned in their weaponry as per the surrender deal in which about 150 rebel fighters from Qudsaya and al-Hamah will be allowed safe-passage to rebel-held areas in Idlib. More than 300 rebel fighters who have chosen to stay behind will have their cases settled.[5][6] The agreement was completed on the following day, with rebels being allowed to leave along with their family members.[7]

Climate

In Qudsaya, there is a local steppe climate. Rainfall is higher in winter than in summer. The Köppen-Geiger climate classification is BSk. The average annual temperature in Qudsaya is 15.9 °C (60.6 °F). About 258 mm (10.16 in) of precipitation falls annually.